Operation Puttur

Last updated

Operation Puttur
Part of Anti terror operations in India
Date5 October 2013
Location
Puttur
13°27′N79°33′E / 13.450°N 79.550°E / 13.450; 79.550 Coordinates: 13°27′N79°33′E / 13.450°N 79.550°E / 13.450; 79.550
Result Nabbing of two terrorists
Belligerents
Bilal Malik Panna Ismail
Commanders and leaders
Andhra Pradesh Police Tamil Nadu Police
OCTOPUS (Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations)
Casualties and losses
1 – police inspector
India Andhra Pradesh location map (current).svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Andhra Pradesh

Operation Puttur was an anti-terror operation launched jointly by the Tamil Nadu Police and the Andhra Pradesh Police, which captured two terror suspects in Puttur on 5 October 2013. Part of the banned Al Ummah outfit, they were planning to plant bombs at the famed Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, the most visited temple in India. The suspects also had a plan to murder a famous person in Chennai in the name of the "Muslim Defence Force." The operation reportedly ended those conspiracies.

Contents

Background

View of Puttur town from the top of a hill PutturTown.jpg
View of Puttur town from the top of a hill

Al Ummah is a terrorist group involved in many terrorist attacks in Tamil Nadu. Started in 1993 after the Babri Masjid demolition, the organization was noticed for the 1993 bombing of RSS office in Chennai, which killed eleven people. The organization is tied to other attacks like the Coimbatore serial bomb blasts which killed 58 persons, while targeting Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani during the city's election campaign. [1] [2] It was tied to the bomb blast in Bangalore, the state capital of Karnataka. [3] The terrorists were planning to strike the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple using umbrella bombs amidst the many pilgrims during the annual Brahmostavam festival. The Tamil Nadu police arrested one of the militants named Fakruddin (also called 'Police Fakrudin') on 4 October 2013. [1] Police Fakrudin, Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik were suspects in plotting attacks on Bharathiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani during October 2011, murder of BJP's Arvinth Reddy, Auditor Ramesh, Murugan and Hindu Munnani leader Vellaiyappan.

Arvinth Reddy

On October 23, 2012, Doctor Arvinth Reddy, the then state medical wing secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party was killed in front of his clinic in Kosapet area of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. [4] According to the police, then 38-year old Arvinth Reddy was stabbed at the back of his neck using knife by a three-member gang and he died on the spot. Six accused were nabbed on November 21 and 22, 2013 [5] and one of them, Vasur Raja, accepted their role in the murder of doctor. [6] However, in December 2013, a Special Investigation Division of the CBCID pointed their suspicion towards Fakruddin and his associates Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik. [7] Fakruddin confessed that he and his two associates were involved in the murder of Arvinth Reddy. [8]

Murugan

On March 19, 2013, Murugan.K aged 45, former BJP municipal councillor, was hacked to death by a three-member gang in Paramakudi main bazaar while he was returning home for lunch [9] The gang also hurled pipe bombs at the murdered person and two live pipe bombs were recovered from the scene and defused. This murder happened in front of shopkeepers and public, who fled the spot in panic. [10] Initially, four suspects were arrested, but later upon the confession of Fakruddin, [8] they were released after four months of imprisonment. [11]

Vellaiyappan

On July 1, 2013, Vellaiyappan, aged 45, Tamil Nadu state secretary of Hindu Munnani was in his two-wheeler in Vellore going to Ramakrishna Mutt when he was attacked on his head from behind. He was then hacked in his neck and the assailants escaped. Volunteers belonging to Hindu Munnani then agitated demanding action against assailants. [12] It was revealed during the interrogation of Fakruddin that he had met Vellaiyappan a day before the murder and had a conversation posing as a Hindu [13]

Auditor Ramesh

On July 19, 2013, "Auditor" V.Ramesh aged 54, was hacked to death inside the compound of his house by an unknown gang in Salem. [14] Jayalalitha, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu constituted a Special Investigation Division to probe the murder of "Auditor" Ramesh. [15] [16]

Fakrudin evaded arrest for 8 years and along with Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik in a group called "Muslim Defence Force" were planning to kill a public figure in Tamil Nadu in 2013. The Tamil Nadu Police became aware of his movements. He landed in Chennai Central station on 4 October 2013, when two policemen in plain clothes followed, chased and captured him. [17]

Operation

The Tamil Nadu Police team landed in Puttur, located 30 km (19 mi) from Tirupathi and 115 km (71 mi) from Chennai on the evening of 4 October 2013.

On 5 October 2013, two terror suspects were holed up in a house in Puttur. Bilal Malik and Panna Ismail were in the house; while their accomplice, Fakrudin (also called Police Fakrudin) was captured a day before in Chennai. The three were part of the banned Al Ummah outfit. They were planning to plant bombs in the famed Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, the most visited temple in India. and also had a plan to murder a famous person in Chennai in the name of Muslim Defence Force. They were earlier suspected to be involved in several other cases like the murder plot of L.K. Advani and bombing in Malleswaram in Bangalore where 16 people were injured. [2]

The operation was started at 4 in the morning and continued for 10 hours. One of the police constables sustained injuries in the operation and eventually died in hospital; of the four terrorists who were holed up, two – namely Malik and Ismailn – were captured. Malik's wife and three children were used by the two as human shields and the operation continued for 10 hours. The suspects came out of the house after a prolonged exchange of fire.

They were coaxed and finally overcome by the dropping of percussion shells and tear gas from the top of the house. The operation was the first of its kind for Octopus, a newly formed anti-terror unit of the Andhra Police. The searches by the police yielded two bombs and a pistol used by the suspects. [18] A police inspector named Lakshmanan who went incognito as a commoner was attacked by the militants and he sustained injuries. Mutual fire was exchanged for a while.

Later in the day, the Octopus team members joined the operation. They cordoned off the area from common people and fired tear gas into the house. The two militants who rushed out were nabbed by the team. Mr. Panna Ismail sustained bullet injuries in the arrest. [19] Two other suspects who were holed up escaped. [18] It was later found out that the lady was the wife of Malik who preferred to stay with her and his children. [17] The lady and the children were detained by Tamil Nadu police, which briefly created a furor. A twelve-member police team from Tamil Nadu visited the place few weeks after the operation along with Malik to hold enquiries about the duo. While most of the civilians were reluctant to reveal information, repeated queries and assurance of the police revealed that the duo were involved in selling vegetables less than the market price and were popular in the area. [20]

Crew

Operation Puttur was a joint operation of the Tamil Nadu state police and the Andhra Pradesh State police. The operation was the first of its kind for OCTOPUS (Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations), a newly formed anti-terror unit of the Andhra Police constituted specifically for handling terrorism related issues. [21] K. Srinivas, one of the civilians aged 25, was also in the team aiding the police. He was one of the three to climb up the roof of the house and issued warnings and persuasive statements to the suspects. He aided the police to drop stun grenades and tear gas from the roof into the houses. [22]

Related Research Articles

Veerappan Indian bandit and domestic terrorist

Koose Munisamy Veerappan was an Indian bandit turned domestic terrorist who was active for 36 years, and kidnapped major politicians for ransom. He was charged with sandalwood smuggling and poaching of elephants in the scrub lands and forests in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Pattali Makkal Katchi Political party in India

Paattali Makkal Katchi is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India, founded by S. Ramadoss in 1989 as a political outfit for the Vanniyars (OBC), the dominant caste in northern Tamil Nadu. It is currently part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It contests the elections with the 'Ripe Mango' symbol.

Terrorism in India Overview of terrorism in India

Terrorism in India, according to the Home Ministry, poses a significant threat to the people of India. Compared to other countries, India faces a wide range of terror groups. Terrorism found in India includes Islamic terrorism, separatist terrorism, and left wing terrorism India is one of the countries most impacted by terrorism.

1998 Coimbatore bombings Bombings in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

The 1998 Coimbatore bombings occurred on Saturday, 14 February 1998, in the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 58 people were killed and over 200 injured in the 12 bomb attacks in 11 places, all within a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) radius. The explosives used were found to be gelatin sticks activated by timer devices and were concealed in cars, motorcycles, bicycles, sideboxes of two-wheelers, denim and rexin bags, and fruit carts. Several bombs that failed to detonate were defused by bomb disposal squads of the Army, National Security Guards and Tamil Nadu Commando School. The bombings were apparently in retaliation to the 1997 Coimbatore riots during November – December the previous year, when Hindu fundamentalists groups killed 18 Muslims and looted several thousands of properties of Muslims following the murder of a traffic policeman named Selvaraj, by a member of the radical Islamist group Al Ummah. The main conspirator was found to be S A Basha, the founder of Al Ummah, an Islamic fundamentalist body. Investigators found out that the blasts were a part of larger conspiracy to target L.K.Advani, the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party on that day at 4 p.m in his election meeting.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Indian political party

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi formerly known as the Dalit Panthers of India or the Dalit Panthers Iyyakkam is an Indian social movement and political party that seeks to combat caste based discrimination, active in the state of Tamil Nadu. The party also has a strong emphasis on Tamil nationalism. Its chairman is Thol. Thirumavalavan, a lawyer from Chennai and its general secretary is the writer Ravikumar.

Popular Front of India

The Popular Front of India (PFI) is an extremist Islamic organisation in India formed as a successor to National Development Front (NDF) in 2006, and often have been accused for involvement in anti-national and anti-social activities by the Indian Government. It acquired a multi-state dimension by merging with the National Development Front, Manitha Neethi Pasarai, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and other organisations. The PFI describe themselves as a neo-social movement committed to empower people to ensure justice, freedom and security. The organisation has various wings to cater to different sections of society, including the National Women's Front and the Campus Front of India.

Mecca Masjid blast Terrorist incident in India

The Mecca Masjid blast occurred on 18 May 2007 inside the Mecca Masjid, a mosque located in the old city area of Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Telangana located very close to Charminar. The blast was caused by a cellphone-triggered pipe bomb placed near the Wuzukhana, a spot where ablutions are performed. Two more live IEDs were found and defused by the police. Sixteen people were reported dead in the immediate aftermath, of whom five were killed by the police firing after the incident while trying to quell the mob.

Hindu Munnani Indian political party

Hindu Munnani is a right-wing, Hindu nationalist organisation based in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Pon Radhakrishnan Indian politician

Pon Radhakrishnan is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Shipping between May 2014 and May 2019. Earlier, he served in the Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways in the NDA government. He has served as the minister of state for Youth affairs and Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in Third Vajpayee Ministry. He is elected to Lok Sabha from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu in 2014. He lost in the recent 2019 parliamentary elections.

The 2008 Ahmedabad bombings were a series of 21 bomb blasts that hit Ahmedabad, India, on 26 July 2008, within a span of 70 minutes. Fifty-six people were killed and over 200 people were injured. Ahmedabad is the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat state, and a large part of western India. The blasts were considered to be of low intensity, and were similar to the Bangalore blasts, Karnataka which occurred the day before.

Social Democratic Party of India Indian political party

The Social Democratic Party of India is an Indian political party founded on 21 June 2009 at New Delhi. It is the political outfit of the Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). It was registered with the Election Commission of India on 13 April 2010. The party is popularly known as SDPI. MK Faizey is the party's National President.

Puthiya Thalaimurai TV

Puthiya Thalaimurai TV is a Tamil news channel headquartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is run by Chennai-based The New Generation Media Corporation, along with Puthiya Thalaimurai Magazine. The Channel is viewed channel in Tamil Nadu.

Puthiya Thalaimurai is a Tamil magazine published from Chennai, India by New Generation Media and it was owned by SRM Group.

National Highway 716 (formerly: NH 205) is a National Highway in India. It starts from its junction with NH 16 near Chennai in Tamil Nadu and terminates at its junction with NH 40 near Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

Al Ummah is a terrorist organisation mainly based in Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was banned by the Government of Tamil Nadu for perpetrating the 1998 Coimbatore bombings.

Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) is an elite counter terrorism joint unit of the Andhra Pradesh Police in the state of Andhra Pradesh & and the Telangana Police in the state of Telangana in India.

The 2014 Chennai train bombing is the explosion of two low-intensity bombs on the early hours of 1 May 2014, Thursday at Chennai Central railway station. The Banglore–Guwahati Kaziranga Superfast Express which came from Banglore and was going towards Guwahati was standing on platform 09 of Chennai Central railway station, when two blasts occurred in two coaches S4 and S5. The bombing killed one female passenger and injured at least fourteen others.

H. Raja Indian politician

Hariharan Raja Sharma also known as H. Raja is an Indian politician. He started his political-social life as an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) promoter. He was a MLA representing the Karaikudi constituency in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006. He was one of the national secretaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2014 to 2020. H Raja is known for his controversial statements and statements against other religions.

Vanathi Srinivasan(/ʋaːnati/) is an Indian politician and a lawyer. As a lawyer, she has practiced in Chennai High Court since 1993. She is a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Coimbatore South constituency. She currently serves as the National President of the Women's Wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The 2016 Coimbatore riots refers to the riots that took place in Coimbatore from September 22 to September 24, 2016, by members of the Hindu Munnani after the murder of the outfit's district spokesperson, C Sasikumar.

References

  1. 1 2 "Probe confirms plot to kill Advani". The Tribune . Chennai. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 Burns, John F. (15 February 1998). "Toll From Bombing in India Rises to 50 Dead and 200 Hurt". New York Times . New Delhi. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Johnson, T.A. (7 May 2013). "Al Ummah man planted bomb near BJP office in Bangalore, say cops". The Indian Express . Bangalore. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Vellore doctor done to death". The Hindu Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cops to question Vasur Raja on Reddy's murder motive". The New Indian Express Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Vasur Raja admits role in doctor's murder". The New Indian Express Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Arvinth Reddy Case: Police Get Custody of Terror Duo". The New Indian Express Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Fakruddin confessed to involvement in murder of Hindu outfit leaders: police". The Hindu Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Former BJP councillor hacked to death". The Hindu Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Paramakudi tense as gang hacks BJP man". The New Indian Express Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Paramakudi man's life falls apart after he is held for murder". The Times of India Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Hindu Munnani leader murdered". The Hindu Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "'Police' Fakruddin met Munnani leader Vellaiyappan day before murdering him". The New Indian Express Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "Senior BJP leader hacked to death in Salem". The Times of India Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "Special team to probe BJP leaders murder: CM". Live Chennai Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "ரமேஷ் கொலைக்கு கண்டனம்; ஜெ.வுக்கு அத்வானி பாராட்டு!". Vikatan Website. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 TNN (7 October 2013). "Operation Puttur prevented murder of top leader in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. Chennai. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  18. 1 2 Akbar, Syed (5 October 2013). "TN, AP police teams nab two terrorists in joint operation in Andhra, 1 cop killed". The Times of India . Chittoor. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  19. ↑ Dharur, Suresh. "Plot to bomb Tirumala foiled; 2 suspects held". The Tribune. Hyderabad. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "On terror trail, TN police team visits Puttur again". The Hindu . Chirtoor. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  21. ↑ Stalin, J. Daniel (7 October 2013). Abhinav Bhatt (ed.). "How anti-terror squad OCTOPUS helped nab suspected terrorists in Chittoor". Puttur, Andhra Pradesh: NDTV . Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  22. ↑ Santosh, J. (13 October 2013). "Unsung Puttur hero wants to join police". The New Indian Express . Chennai. ENS. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.